Army Times information
for A/7/17 CAV
24 STZ
For date 700407
A/7/17 CAV was a US Army unit
24 STZ was a Vietnamese Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Kontum Province, II Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Dak To
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "7/17th Air Cavalry Kills 10 NVA Northwest of Dak To" dated sometime between June and September 1970 and believed to be from the Army Times.
Camp Holloway, Vietnam - Ruthless Riders of the 17th CAG, A/7/17th Cav, while working in support of the 24th ARVN, killed 10 NVA soldiers and captured numerous enemy arms 15 miles west northwest of Dak To Number Two on April 7. Around 10 a.m., Cobra gunships led by MAJ Robert L. Rackley, of Ashville, NC, started flying over valleys and hillsides covered with triple canopy jungle and concentrating in an area where enemy were numerous. About 15 enemy soldiers were spotted from an unknown size element which was operating in the area. The lead LOH came upon a heavily used trail and saw five individuals wearing green fatigues, sitting by their field packs with mortar rounds laying by them. Lead scout pilot Thomas E. O’Neil of Columbia, OH, had his observer mark the spot with a grenade. Two Cobra gunships flown by CWO Maurice J. Sanchez, of Susanville, CA, and James D. Chapman, of Woodworth, WI, made two runs over the position killing four enemy soldiers. A LOH team lead by CWO Gary B. Enderle of Chilicothe, OH, moved in and started sweeping an area where an ARP was going to be inserted. CWO Enderle, spotted some movement from a tree line and came upon several NVA wearing fatigues and carrying AK-47s. His mini-gun killed one of them. By this time lift ships were inserting the ARP members who started receiving heavy enemy fire as soon as they were on the ground. Ground troops led by SSG Thomas F. Wells of Jersey City, NJ, swept the area and found a pistol belt, nine mortar rounds, four recoilless rifles, 700 pounds of rice, two home made grenades, 6 boxes of AK-47 rounds, three boxes of dynamite, and the bodies of enemy soldiers killed earlier by Cobra gunships. O’Neil found two more and killed them with his mini-gun. The ARP was finally extracted along with captured weapons and ammunition. There were no friendly casualties.
Comments: MAJ Rackley, Robert L; A Troop CO; ;
WO O’Neil, Thomas E.; LOH pilot; ;
CWO Sanchez, Maurice J.; Cobra pilot; ;
CWO Chapman, James D.; Cobra pilot; ;
CWO Enderle, Gary B.; LOH pilot; ;
SSG Wells, Thomas F.; ARP sergeant; ;
The source for this information was paper clippings supplied by Rudi DeFrance
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
Please send additions or corrections to: Gary Roush Email address: webmaster@vhpa.org
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Last updated
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Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023